Daily Living Skills

Daily living skills encompass various tasks needed for independent adult living. Talk with your child as you are doing the tasks together - show them what to do and how to do it! In He Awhi Taonga, we try to incorporate some of the following activities.

Handling money

Activities could include:

Sorting coins;
Counting coins;
Looking at the patterns and pictures on coins;
Matching coins;
Ordering money - smallest value to biggest value.
Setting up a pretend grocery store with empty boxes, play money, scales, shopping lists, price tags, cash register;
Write a shopping list and go to the real supermarket;
Talk to your child about where money comes from, and where we keep money safe.

Housekeeping

Activities could include:

Hanging out clothes - using the pegs;
Sorting washing and helping to put it way;
Setting the table at dinner time;
Helping out in the garden;
Helping with dusting, vacuuming or cleaning windows;
Watering the plants;
Washing cars;
Helping put toys away;
Helping to make their bed.

Self-care and hygiene

Activities could include:

Appropriate hand washing - 20 seconds (sing Happy Birthday);
Washing their bodies and shampooing their hair in the bath or shower;
Getting themselves dry after a bath or shower;
Brushing their teeth;
Getting themselves dressed - can your child do up buttons, zips, domes;
Putting on their shoes and socks and tying their shoelaces;
Blowing their nose;
Coughing and sneezing into their elbow;
Combing or brushing their hair.

Below are some visuals you could use for teaching some of these skills.

Safety awareness: identifying danger and respecting emergency procedures

Activities could include:

Identifying dangers within the house - hot water, iron, sharp knives etc;
Knowing what the smoke alarm sounds like and what to do if it happens;
Knowing what foods in your house are edible and inedible;
Teaching your child who our emergency services are - fire, police, ambulance.

Meal preparation

Activities could include:

Helping to write a shopping list;
Going to the supermarket with family and helping to buy food;
Helping to put food away - does it go in the fridge, freezer or cupboard?
Helping to prepare meals - mixing and measuring;
Learning what foods are good for us;
Having a bakery kit at home with simple recipe cards.

Below are some recipe cards that we use in He Awhi Taonga. They come from the Playcentre Cook Book. You can make a whole patch or make an individual portion.

Page updated

Report abuse